Traditional loudspeakers, particularly those intended for employment in home two channel audio or multi-channel theater systems employ rectangular enclosures and transducers which direct acoustic energy towards an intended listening position. There are, however, a number of loudspeaker designers that have suggested the generation of non-directional radiation from a loudspeaker. The reason for this is the recognized advantages which are known to be achievable as a result of an improved relationship between room acoustics and the loudspeaker itself. Specifically, when acoustically reflective surfaces in a room such as its walls and ceiling are excited with the same sound that reaches a listener directly, the reverberant or reflected sound does not interfere with the perceptual functioning of the listener. A loudspeaker which would feature various kinds of box enclosures cannot accomplish this because of diffractions which appear about the speaker enclosures. These diffractions modify the off-access sounds which are the ones that excite room reverberations. As such, a listener is provided with a more satisfying audio experience when a loudspeaker is employed which radiates isotropically, or in all directions. Nevertheless, there are practical advantages in producing a loudspeaker which is slightly anisotropic by restricting radiation to a mainly circular pattern in a horizontal plane and being slightly attenuated above and below that plane.
Loudspeaker systems such as those described herein achieve desired mild anisotropy and offer further advantages as well. The use of spherical enclosures minimize diffractions around those structures while providing a novel appearance. The use of driver elements in opposed pairs as suggested herein cause reactive forces to be completely contained and thus prevent undesirable transmission of those acoustic waves or forces to surrounding structures, particularly the floor upon which a loudspeaker is placed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a speaker system in a form of spherical enclosures each housing tiers of audio transducers of specific frequency ranges thus eliminating those various types of box enclosures of the prior art.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved loudspeaker system that fundamentally radiates acoustic energy isotropically with mild anisotropy, restricting radiation in a mainly circular horizontal plane and slightly attenuated above and below that plane.
These and further objects will be more readily appreciated when considering the following disclosure and appended drawings.